Patient & Visitor Guide for Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital

To make your hospital stay as comfortable as possible, you should bring:

• slippers
• bathrobe
• toothbrush & toothpaste
• hair brush or comb
• shampoo/hair care and personal hygiene products
• denture care supplies
• eyeglasses and case
• smartphone or tablet

If you have valuables, such as jewelry, credit cards and cash, please give them to a relative or friend to take care of during your stay.

Having your current medical and financial information will result in less stress for you during check-in. Please bring the following:

• insurance card and/or policy
• Medicare or Medicaid card
• driver’s licenses and/or photo ID cards of the patient and the insured
• emergency contact information
• a list of your current medications, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, vitamins and herbals
• physician’s orders, if you have any
• your advance directives (living will, power of attorney, etc.)

We offer the following services to assist you medically, financially, spiritually, and physically.

• Care Management Teams & Social Workers
• Financial Assistance
• UNCHA Hospital Police
• Spiritual Care

Telephones are in patient rooms, except the critical care areas.

To place a long-distance call, you will need to use a calling card or a cell phone.

The Nutrition Services Department is dedicated to making your hospital stay as pleasant as possible.

There are food and beverage items available in each nursing unit that patients may request at any time.

We encourage visitors for emotional support and recovery. To provide a restful and safe environment, we ask that all visitors comply with the following guidelines:

• Be considerate of other patients by keeping noise to a minimum.
• Refrain from visiting if you have a cold, sore throat or any contagious disease.
• Observe no visiting and precaution signs before entering the room.
• Do not smoke.
• Leave the room during tests or treatments if asked.

If you have valuables, such as jewelry, credit cards and cash, please give them to a relative or friend to take care of during your stay. Store your contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures in your bedside stand when not in use. Please don’t put them on your bed or food tray— they may be damaged or lost.

If you cannot send your valuables home, please speak with your nurse about storing them in the hospital safe. The hospital cannot be responsible for any valuables left in your room. Unclaimed items left at the hospital are turned over to the state of North Carolina following the North Carolina General Statutes.

Please do not bring any medications (prescription, over-the-counter or illegal drugs) to the hospital. All medications you take while a patient here have been prescribed by your physician, are dispensed by the hospital pharmacy and administered by a trained professional. Patients are not permitted to administer their own medications or keep personal medications, unless approved by their physician.

For the health, safety and well-being of our patients, visitors and employees, the use of tobacco products is prohibited on all UNCHA properties. This includes all the campuses of UNC Health Appalachian, including buildings, grounds, parking areas, walkways and vehicles. If you would like to stop smoking, call 800-QUIT-NOW